On the 1940s

The winter of 1940 was one of the wettest on record. Fred Rohr stood on the edge of the bay and watched it rain. His workers were struggling to move from downtown San Diego to his new factory. He had a desk full of orders to fill and needed additional space to expand his business.

His temporary office was in a barn next to the old airfield, and the accountants were using buckets to catch the water pouring through holes in the corrugated roof. He was trying to do something new—to create what he called a “feeder plant” for the aviation industry, using skilled technicians and specialized machinery to make airplane engine components.

Over the next decade and in to the ‘50s Rohr’s leaky barn would become 156 acres with 41 buildings for 11,000 skilled workers.  More than 30,000 power packages were manufactured for the B-24 Bomber, which made Rohr the world’s largest producer of airplane power units.

One of Rohr’s founders, J.E. Rheim, explained why they chose Chula Vista,

“We simply liked the town, it was pleasantly situated, it was clean and progressive, and it had room in which to grow.”

To learn more about what happened after the war in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, you can attend a free lecture given by our Centennial book author and historian, Dr. Steven Schoenherr at the Civic Center Library tomorrow evening, July 20, at 6 p.m. There you will be able to order copies of the book for yourself and friends and family.